British Leyland -They were crap and they knew they were.

[Garvin]

Vince70 said:

You didn't really need a mg turbo to beat the gti anyway.

And the Montego could fit though gaps better than most of the opposition.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=TMTx0ZTOaIc&des...

I had two MG Maestros in the early 90's. Dynamically they were good cars that went, gripped and handled well. My main gripe with them was the asthmatic sound of the engine above 4k rpm - was not a nice sound.

Both had one fault each and both sorted under warranty.

The first had a bit of a carpet ruckle in the passenger footwell which neither I nor the dealer could get straight so the whole front carpet, which covered the driver footwell as well was replaced. When I went to pick the car up after rectification the service manager took me into the workshop and showed me the original carpet. The ruckles had clearly been 'pressed' into the carpet when it was steam formed (or however they do it). The 'mongs' on the production line had clearly fitted it in its distorted state! Once sorted though the car was faultless until I replaced it with:

The second, which came with a rather gaping shut line twixt front bumper panel and bodywork. When I grabbed hold of the bumper it was clearly not located on the near side. Only took a few minutes for the embarrassed salesman and service manager to get it fixed after which, again the car was faultless for its life with me. How it emerged from the factory in this state or passed the dealer PDI I don't know!

[MGJohn]

Garvin said:

heebeegeetee said:

My understanding of these was, if you did try to beat a Golf Gti (or whatever) away from the lights, a Monty Turbo would change lanes.

You are right that you can control this sort of thing with your right foot, but meantime your rival has left you for dead.

.
Just like, say, a Mk1 Focus RS!
.

.. Or any powerful, even rear wheel drive cars with slippery arses planting the right foot ... also known as "Bum Steer". In more ways than one...

Been driving MG and Rover Turbos for well over twenty years now. NEVER had torque steer problems even with foot to the floor take offs. Finesse is what its all about and a well maintained car.

Contrary to mistaken popular belief, it is not Rocket Science.

[andyps]

St John Smythe said:

I think you guys mean the Z3, not Z4.

I did, I was led astray by the previous comment!

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Garvin said:

I had two MG Maestros in the early 90's. Dynamically they were good cars that went, gripped and handled well.

Mine didn't. Good in a straight line but useless in corners and just dreadful build quality. Fuses blowing constantly, one issue after another.

I owned a range of hot hatches thru the 80s and the MG Maestro was head and shoulders below everything else.

[Garvin]

andyps said:

St John Smythe said:

I think you guys mean the Z3, not Z4.

I did, I was led astray by the previous comment!

Ah yes. The Z3. Apart from a Mitsubishi Charisma (most inappropriately named car . . . . . . ever!) the Z3 was the most disappointing car I have ever driven. I really couldn't believe that BMW could come up with such a dreadful car.

[williamp]

MGJohn said:

Love the net curtains! I can imagine the conversation... "Yes of course you can use the garage too. See! Ive even put nets up to make it fel homely for you...

[anonymous-user]

Garvin said:

andyps said:

St John Smythe said:

I think you guys mean the Z3, not Z4.

I did, I was led astray by the previous comment!

Ah yes. The Z3. Apart from a Mitsubishi Charisma (most inappropriately named car . . . . . . ever!) the Z3 was the most disappointing car I have ever driven. I really couldn't believe that BMW could come up with such a dreadful car.

Yes in the face of all tbis fawning Roverism I got them back to front.

Yes the Z3 was dire, although a great 'scalp' apparently for those keen on MGF's

[MGJohn]

williamp said:

MGJohn said:

Love the net curtains! I can imagine the conversation... "Yes of course you can use the garage too. See! Ive even put nets up to make it fel homely for you...
.

Exactly! ... That's the female touch. My good lady likes to add a touch of class to the home. I spend more time in that little two car 'bungalow' than the house now I'm retired.

She's currently redesigning the patio. 'spose I'll have to move those engines now ... .... life's a beech sometimes .... priorities all a'cock ....

If she had her way the garage would be fully carpeted .... wimmen eh. Don't you just lurve 'em...

[williamp]

Mind you, I have carpet on the walls n my garage...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Garvin said:

the Z3 was the most disappointing car I have ever driven. I really couldn't believe that BMW could come up with such a dreadful car.

I hear this a lot about the Z3. I've only driven one, a 1.9, and I really liked it. Handled ok, went fine for what it was, and great build quality made it a very nice place to be. I like the looks too, although I know I'm in a minority.

[SteveinTurkey]

heebeegeetee said:

MGJohn said:

"Hooligan" friend's Torque steer.

Overdrive any car, even a lowly Metro and you can induce 'torque steer' of some type under certain conditions. Driving simply by planting the right foot lacks finesse in any car and if you know the limitations, they all have them, you can drive it to best advantage. All in my opinion of course..

There again, that neglected car with it's steering alignment all a'cock could be the cause of the problem.

My understanding of these was, if you did try to beat a Golf Gti (or whatever) away from the lights, a Monty Turbo would change lanes.

You are right that you can control this sort of thing with your right foot, but meantime your rival has left you for dead.

I have driven many 100's of cars in my time and only one exhibited "torque steer". This car was some sort of performance Mitsubishi that I was test driving back in the early 80's. I cannot remember what the car was but if you stepped on the gas it pulled violently to the right, to the point of being dangerous. I pointed this out to the salesman who was on board and he told me that there was nothing the matter with the car!! I drove it back to the showroom and walked away. It was obvious to me that there was a problem like a broken driveshaft or diferential.

[Garvin]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Garvin said:

the Z3 was the most disappointing car I have ever driven. I really couldn't believe that BMW could come up with such a dreadful car.

I hear this a lot about the Z3. I've only driven one, a 1.9, and I really liked it. Handled ok, went fine for what it was, and great build quality made it a very nice place to be. I like the looks too, although I know I'm in a minority.

Don't get me wrong, it was an OK car, just, but that's about it. If it had, say, a Skoda badge at the time it would have met expectations. But this was a BMW, a 'pukka' sports car, from the makers of the legendary 635CSi and M3 and the disappointment was that expectations were at a level that it had no chance of getting anywhere near.

[morgrp]

SteveinTurkey said:

heebeegeetee said:

MGJohn said:

"Hooligan" friend's Torque steer.

Overdrive any car, even a lowly Metro and you can induce 'torque steer' of some type under certain conditions. Driving simply by planting the right foot lacks finesse in any car and if you know the limitations, they all have them, you can drive it to best advantage. All in my opinion of course..

There again, that neglected car with it's steering alignment all a'cock could be the cause of the problem.

My understanding of these was, if you did try to beat a Golf Gti (or whatever) away from the lights, a Monty Turbo would change lanes.

You are right that you can control this sort of thing with your right foot, but meantime your rival has left you for dead.

I have driven many 100's of cars in my time and only one exhibited "torque steer". This car was some sort of performance Mitsubishi that I was test driving back in the early 80's. I cannot remember what the car was but if you stepped on the gas it pulled violently to the right, to the point of being dangerous. I pointed this out to the salesman who was on board and he told me that there was nothing the matter with the car!! I drove it back to the showroom and walked away. It was obvious to me that there was a problem like a broken driveshaft or diferential.

SteveinTurkey said:

I have driven many 100's of cars in my time and only one exhibited "torque steer". This car was some sort of performance Mitsubishi that I was test driving back in the early 80's. I cannot remember what the car was but if you stepped on the gas it pulled violently to the right, to the point of being dangerous. I pointed this out to the salesman who was on board and he told me that there was nothing the matter with the car!! I drove it back to the showroom and walked away. It was obvious to me that there was a problem like a broken driveshaft or diferential.

The montego turbo was an evil car at times but it was a fantastic high speed sports saloon and didn't deserve the reputation people gave it - the handling was good in its day, it looked good and was comfortable and very practical.
I borrowed a dark metallic blue one from a car dealer mate who had it in part ex years ago and I was genuinely blown away by how fast it was.

Having been lucky enough to drive one of the 500 when I was an apprentice learning the trade, I found the maestro turbo was a finer handling car than the montego on account of its shorter wheel base and smaller over hangs - looked awful though with the tickford body kit - and really I always thought the 2.0efi was a better all rounder and more than a match for the 8v mk2 golf gti (another car I am a big fan of)

[shoestring7]

SteveinTurkey said:

heebeegeetee said:

MGJohn said:

"Hooligan" friend's Torque steer.

Overdrive any car, even a lowly Metro and you can induce 'torque steer' of some type under certain conditions. Driving simply by planting the right foot lacks finesse in any car and if you know the limitations, they all have them, you can drive it to best advantage. All in my opinion of course..

There again, that neglected car with it's steering alignment all a'cock could be the cause of the problem.

My understanding of these was, if you did try to beat a Golf Gti (or whatever) away from the lights, a Monty Turbo would change lanes.

You are right that you can control this sort of thing with your right foot, but meantime your rival has left you for dead.

I have driven many 100's of cars in my time and only one exhibited "torque steer". This car was some sort of performance Mitsubishi that I was test driving back in the early 80's. I cannot remember what the car was but if you stepped on the gas it pulled violently to the right, to the point of being dangerous. I pointed this out to the salesman who was on board and he told me that there was nothing the matter with the car!! I drove it back to the showroom and walked away. It was obvious to me that there was a problem like a broken driveshaft or diferential.

You can find it in pretty much every powerful fwd car, in most you'll feel the steering weight up under power, and hitting a bump asymmetrically will cause some snatch.

SS7

[Vince70]

MGJohn said:

williamp said:

MGJohn said:

Love the net curtains! I can imagine the conversation... "Yes of course you can use the garage too. See! Ive even put nets up to make it fel homely for you...
.

Exactly! ... That's the female touch. My good lady likes to add a touch of class to the home. I spend more time in that little two car 'bungalow' than the house now I'm retired.

She's currently redesigning the patio. 'spose I'll have to move those engines now ... .... life's a beech sometimes .... priorities all a'cock ....

If she had her way the garage would be fully carpeted .... wimmen eh. Don't you just lurve 'em...

I'm jealous a double garage with net curtains and electrics and two montego turbos,
It's a bit better than my single garage with a leaky roof and 1 spare Audi shed which gets dragged out for 6 months of the year over the and Autumn/winter months.

Every year since I've owned the house I have said I will replace the roof on the garage but keep putting it off

[MGJohn]

Vince70 said:

.
Every year since I've owned the house I have said I will replace the roof on the garage but keep putting it off
.

That's called porcro, procrast ... yes, putting things off.... You are not alone. When I bought my daily driver 620ti coming up to seven years ago, I noticed that the boot light did not come on. Soon, changed the bulb, still no light.

I finally got round to fixing it earlier this year after looking for something in the boot on a very dark night and drawing a blank after groping about in the dark!

Have a read if you're sufficiently interested.

http://forums.mg-rover.org/showpost.php?p=5361858&...

Also, recommend fixing the garage roof asap. So useful.

[drivin_me_nuts]

back in the day my daily I was rather partial to the 309gti and the Saab 900 turbo (the proper one). I did wonder how they would stack up against each other. MG always looked too dull for my liking and I had a 900 that was great fun... anyone driven a 309gti and a Montego something or other and compared them?

[SteveinTurkey]

shoestring7 said:

SteveinTurkey said:

heebeegeetee said:

MGJohn said:

"Hooligan" friend's Torque steer.

Overdrive any car, even a lowly Metro and you can induce 'torque steer' of some type under certain conditions. Driving simply by planting the right foot lacks finesse in any car and if you know the limitations, they all have them, you can drive it to best advantage. All in my opinion of course..

There again, that neglected car with it's steering alignment all a'cock could be the cause of the problem.

My understanding of these was, if you did try to beat a Golf Gti (or whatever) away from the lights, a Monty Turbo would change lanes.

You are right that you can control this sort of thing with your right foot, but meantime your rival has left you for dead.

I have driven many 100's of cars in my time and only one exhibited "torque steer". This car was some sort of performance Mitsubishi that I was test driving back in the early 80's. I cannot remember what the car was but if you stepped on the gas it pulled violently to the right, to the point of being dangerous. I pointed this out to the salesman who was on board and he told me that there was nothing the matter with the car!! I drove it back to the showroom and walked away. It was obvious to me that there was a problem like a broken driveshaft or diferential.

You can find it in pretty much every powerful fwd car, in most you'll feel the steering weight up under power, and hitting a bump asymmetrically will cause some snatch.

SS7

There is a world of difference between what you describe and what I was describing. I have been driving powerful cars for more than 30 years and I can not remember thinking that a particular car had "torque-steer", apart from the one I test drove above.

[M3DGE]

DCLXIV said:

mjb1 said:

I'm sorry but I don't class foreign car companies with UK production production facilities as 'uk car industry'. Honda, Toyota, Nissan are all Japanese engineered vehicles, that are assembled in the UK. And the only reason they do that is a commercial/political one. JLR is the nearest thing we've got to a mainstream UK car company, but it's still foreign owned.

Nissan and Ford have R&D centres in the UK as well as production.

Vauxhall also has a fair amount of back-office in Luton, as well as the JV plant there and the Astra plant in Elsemeer Port.

[M3DGE]

drivin_me_nuts said:

Out of curiosity what was the defining car of the BL era, assuming there was one: one that summaries all that is best of any era.

That's really a new thread! And I suppose you need to define the BL era - if we agree 70s, 80s and 90s as separate eras and all under Nationalised control, IMO:-

70s - Best - Rover SDi, could have been truly great with a tad more investment

Worst - I can't get past the Marina; although I truly hated my Dad's 76 Allegro it was built OK

80s - Best - Metro, hands down. A groundbreaking car that pretty much invented the Supermini. Only rebadging and recycling made it a bad car years later.

Worst - Morris Ital. So, that's another viote for the Marina, then. Could be worse...on the continent you could buy one made in Portugal with a 37hp (yes, really) diesel engine..

90s - Best - I would vote Rover 600. Has also aged really well, unlike many other cars of this era, and carried great equipment levels mated to good build quality.

Worst - Ignoring the Metro (see above) or the even more dated Mini, which were good cars simply past their sell-by, I don't think there were any real shockers?